Chennai: In a landmark step towards biodiversity protection, the Tamil Nadu government has announced the establishment of the country's first-ever Centre of Excellence for Hornbill Conservation at the Aanamalai Tiger Reserve (ATR) in Coimbatore district.  

Hornbills, often dubbed the "farmers of the forest" for their critical role in seed dispersal and forest regeneration, are increasingly under threat due to deforestation, habitat fragmentation, and climate change.

To address this, the state's Department of Environment, Climate Change, and Forests has allocated Rs 1 crore under the Endangered Species Conservation Corpus Fund to set up the centre. The facility will focus on four hornbill species native to the Western Ghats - the Great Hornbill, Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and Indian Grey Hornbill.

It will carry out activities such as habitat mapping, monitoring of nesting sites, scientific research, climate impact assessments, and the restoration of degraded forests through the planting of native trees like fig and canarium, which provide essential food for hornbills.

A government order issued by Supriya Sahu, Additional Chief Secretary of the department, stated that ATR was chosen for its rich biodiversity, robust conservation framework, and past success in safeguarding endangered species, including tigers, elephants, and lion-tailed macaques.

The initiative places strong emphasis on community involvement. Local communities will participate in conservation efforts through nest adoption schemes, scholarships for school students, and livelihood options such as seed collection.

The project also plans to conduct outreach activities, educational field visits for students, and training programmes for forest staff.

The Centre will collaborate with key conservation and research organisations, including the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, the Nature Conservation Foundation, the Wildlife Institute of India, and the International Union for Conservation of Nature’s (IUCN) Hornbill Specialist Group.

Besides Annamalai, the government will extend hornbill conservation efforts to other biodiversity hotspots such as Kalakkad Mundanthurai Tiger Reserve (KMTR), Sathyamangalam Tiger Reserve (STR), and parts of Kanyakumari district. These will include habitat mapping, tree geotagging, phenological studies, and community-driven conservation initiatives. (IANS)